LAWRENCE -- Fifty-eight University of Kansas students will work on research projects funded by the Undergraduate Research Award program this semester.

"The Undergraduate Research Award, or UGRA, program has been around KU for over 20 years," said John Augusto, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research. "This class of recipients will be the first class awarded by the Center for Undergraduate Research. As impressive as the students' research proposals are, what is as equally impressive is the number of outstanding mentors involved with these projects."

Area honorees are as follows:

Ben King, a graduate of Ness City High School. King is a junior in creative writing. His project is an investigation of English dialects in the province of Maryland in the period between 1660 to 1680 in order to create authentic dialogue for a creative work.

Wesley Landis, a graduate of Palco High School. Landis is a senior in design and photo media. His project is "Interstate I-70," a project to document the beauty along I-70 through photography.

Rena Detrixhe, a graduate of Russell High School. Detrixhe is a senior in visual art. Her project is "Bring to the Table," an installation art project exploring our relationship to the environment.

The research awards are funded by a partnership among the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Research and Graduate Studies, and the Office of the Provost. Proposals were selected on the merit of the applicant's proposal, the applicant's academic record, and the recommendation from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant and the proposed project.